Fujisawa M, Hiramine C, Tanaka H, Okada H, Arakawa S, Kamidono S
Department of Urology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
World J Urol. 1999 Oct;17(5):296-300. doi: 10.1007/s003450050149.
To determine whether the regulation of apoptosis in the testes of patients with varicocele testes was abnormal, affecting germ-cell differentiation and sperm production, we studied apoptosis in the testes of normal men and infertile men with varicocele. In all, 56 testicular biopsy specimens were collected from 28 varicocele patients. The specimens from the testes of five normal volunteers with informed consent were used as controls. In situ end-labeled cells were counted with a CAS 200 image analyzer, and an apoptotic index (AI) was calculated by division of the number of labeled cells by the total number of spermatocytes and spermatogonia in over 20 seminiferous tubules. The apoptosis was also examined by electron microscope. The mean AI was 9.67 +/- 0.93% in normal testes (n = 5). In contrast, the mean AIs determined in the right and left testes of varicocele patients (n = 28) were 3.90 +/- 2.28% and 3.78 +/- 2.87%, respectively. The AIs recorded for the testes of varicocele patients were significantly lower than those noted for normal men (P < 0.05). In varicocele patients the AI obtained in the right testis was not statistically significantly different from that found in the left testis. The numbers of apoptotic cells per Sertoli cell also decreased in the testes of varicocele patients as compared with normal men (P < 0.01). Evaluation of all specimens, including the normal controls, revealed no significant correlation either between the AI and the sperm concentration on the seminogram or between the AI and Johnsen's mean score. There was also no relationship between the AI and the serum level of follicle-stimulating hormone, lutenizing hormone, testosterone, or estradiol. In conclusion, apoptosis is decreased in germ cells in the testes of infertile men with varicocele as compared with normal men.
为了确定精索静脉曲张患者睾丸中细胞凋亡的调节是否异常，从而影响生殖细胞分化和精子生成，我们研究了正常男性和精索静脉曲张不育男性睾丸中的细胞凋亡情况。总共从28例精索静脉曲张患者中收集了56份睾丸活检标本。来自5名签署知情同意书的正常志愿者睾丸的标本用作对照。使用CAS 200图像分析仪对原位末端标记细胞进行计数，并通过将标记细胞数除以20多个生精小管中的精母细胞和精原细胞总数来计算凋亡指数（AI）。还用电子显微镜检查了细胞凋亡情况。正常睾丸（n = 5）的平均AI为9.67±0.93%。相比之下，精索静脉曲张患者（n = 28）右侧和左侧睾丸的平均AI分别为3.90±2.28%和3.78±2.87%。精索静脉曲张患者睾丸的AI明显低于正常男性（P < 0.05）。精索静脉曲张患者右侧睾丸的AI与左侧睾丸的AI在统计学上无显著差异。与正常男性相比，精索静脉曲张患者睾丸中每个支持细胞的凋亡细胞数也减少（P < 0.01）。对所有标本（包括正常对照）的评估显示，AI与精液检查中的精子浓度之间或AI与约翰森平均评分之间均无显著相关性。AI与促卵泡激素、促黄体生成素、睾酮或雌二醇的血清水平之间也没有关系。总之，与正常男性相比，精索静脉曲张不育男性睾丸中的生殖细胞凋亡减少。
